


The Vicar's Birthday

by allixiler



Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Implications of smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29368077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allixiler/pseuds/allixiler
Summary: Even Max deserves a birthday celebration.
Relationships: Female Captain & Maximillian DeSoto, Female Captain/Maximillian DeSoto, The Captain & Maximillian DeSoto, The Captain/Maximillian DeSoto
Kudos: 11





	The Vicar's Birthday

He couldn’t remember the last time he had celebrated his birthday. Over the years, it lost its importance and any real meaning. His parents were never too keen on throwing a big birthday bash. They were strict, and didn’t leave much room for fun or leisure activities. As a matter of fact, Max wasn’t sure he had ever made extra effort for his special day. Birthdays weren’t as big of an occasion in Halcyon as they were on Earth, but even Ellie said it was odd that Max had NEVER celebrated his.

She had been with Max for almost a year, and he had never mentioned his birthday even in passing. She had hers just a few months prior, and now that they had almost been together for a full 12 months, she knew that his had either already passed, or was coming up. She decided that either way, she’d be throwing him a party on the ship. 

He was a serious guy with a lot of experiences that had hardened him over the years. She wouldn’t consider any part of his upbringing as normal. He had dedicated so much of his life chasing after something that wasn’t really important, so he had missed out on a lot. She had loved him for quite some time now, and she knew he deserved something special.

She wanted him to experience a real birthday party.

She wanted it to be a surprise, because she had a feeling he’d protest otherwise. For starters, she had to figure out the exact day of his birthday. She couldn’t just ask him and give up her plan, and no one on the crew had any idea. So she had to recruit some assistance from ADA. She entered the navigation terminal.

“Hey, ADA?” She called, standing in front of the ship’s computer.

“Hello, Captain. How can I be of assistance?” She asked.

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Max wasn’t around. She turned back to ADA.

“I need you to get me some information from Edgewater’s database.” The Captain instructed her.

“Certainly, Captain. What information do you wish to acquire?” She questioned, to narrow her search.

“The Vicar’s birth date.” 

It didn’t take ADA long at all to access the information. She informed the Captain within seconds that his birthday was only a week away. She felt a surge of excitement and panic run through her. She had a lot to do in a week. She thanked ADA and began her party planning. She realized she’d need a lot of help with this. 

She rallied the rest of the crew, insisting that she’d need their help. She had everyone (except for Max) gathered around the table to go over everything.

“So, Max’s birthday is a week from today,” She said to her party planning committee; “And I want to throw him a party. It won’t be much, but it’ll be better if we all have a hand in this.”

Everyone looked at each other, some were amused and others were ecstatic. 

“Parvati, I’m putting you in charge of the cake and food. Maybe you can swing by Chef Raymond in Stellar Bay?” She suggested, scribbling down on her notepad.

Parvati was glowing with a thrill, she had always wanted to help throw a party.

“Sure thing, Captain!” She spoke.

The Captain moved her attention to Ellie and Nyoka. 

“I need you two to round up as much alcohol as you can. I’ll loan you two some bits to go splurge in Byzantium.” She said.

Nyoka and Ellie both piped up. They’d get to go alcohol shopping and terrorize Byzantium residents for a day. It was a win-win.

“No complaints here.” Ellie grinned.

“Aye aye, Cap.” Nyoka said, giving a salute.

The Captain smiled as she looked to Felix, who was giddy to be assigned a task. The Captain had to be sure that Felix wouldn’t accidentally spill anything to Max. Felix meant well, but he had the tendency to unintentionally let stuff slip.

“I got it, boss! I won’t say a word.” He promised her.

She nodded with a chuckle, she had her doubts, but she was going to trust him.

“On the day of his birthday, I’m going to need you to take him off of the ship for a while so the rest of us can set up,” She told him; “I’ll probably send you two off on Groundbreaker, but I need you to keep him distracted for at least an hour.”

Felix beamed at that. He knew that was probably the most important task of the entire process. There was no way he’d mess this up. 

“Oh, THAT I can do.” He grinned, leaning back in his chair. 

There wasn’t really much that SAM could do, other than make sure the kitchen was clean before and after the party. Although, she was sure he was just fine with that. 

“I’ll be sure to get everything else, as well as make sure he doesn’t find out.” She announced. 

They erupted into an excited chatter, already thinking about what they were going to get and do. Max entered the room, and the conversations automatically changed. They dispersed shortly after, as if they hadn’t just planned Max’s first real birthday party. 

Max quirked a brow at her, who was the only remaining member in the room. He wrapped one arm around her waist, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. 

“What was that about?” He wondered.

She shrugged it off, acting like she had no idea what he was talking about.

“No idea.”

__

The next week was extremely busy. Between running SubLight errands and making time for getting Max’s birthday stuff, the week was packed. Despite his keen observation skills, Max was oblivious to what was going on. Finally, the big day came around. She was curious to see if he would act any differently from knowing it was his birthday, but she wasn’t surprised that he was unchanged. She had to keep in mind that he didn’t know that she knew. It was hard for her to fight the urge to squeal happy birthday to him.

She was, however, planning on showering him with attention as much as she could without being suspicious.

She woke up first in her small bunk, snuggled up next to him the way she always did. His arms were wrapped around her, and his usually neatened hair had tufts resting on his forehead. She watched as he slept peacefully, his long eyelashes fluttering every few moments for so. 

She buried her head into his neck, and began to lightly pepper him with kisses. He stirred awake with a sharp inhale. He was pleasantly surprised to be awakened in such a way. She looked up at her lover with a look of pure devotion. He let out a noise that resembled a mix of a sleepy grumble and appreciative hum.

“Good morning, Captain.” He said groggily.

His deep, morning voice was music to her ears. She lazily stroked his thigh under the sheets of her bed. 

“Hi.” She replied softly, careful not to break the serenity.

She started kissing his neck again, letting her other hand trail across his bare chest. A light laugh vibrated out of his chest that faded into a content groan as she sucked gently on his warm skin. 

“Someone’s touchy this morning,” He said, letting one of his hands find the back of her head; “What time is it?”

He scratched at her scalp, massaging her hair as she littered him with kisses. She paused for a moment to glance at the clock on the wall.

“6:00.” She replied simply, resuming her kisses.

A guttural sound escaped from his throat. They usually arose early, considering their days were usually busy from start to finish. As he got older though, and the more accustomed he became to spending nights with his Captain, the more he wished he could spare an extra 20 minutes or so. He expected her to crawl over him to get up and start the day at any moment, but he was once again surprised when he felt her hand travel to his inner thigh, ultimately taking him into her hand.

“Captain?” He asked, sighing at the feel of her stroking him.

She smiled, peeling back the sheets and positioning herself between his knees. It didn’t take long for him to get hard. 

“Consider this your wake up call.” She smirked, taking his tip into her mouth.

He grinned, throwing his head back into the pillows.

“Oh, Law.” He mumbled.

Needless to say, that was the best way he had ever started his day, and that wasn’t the end of the endless surprises. Parvati and Nyoka had taken it upon themselves to make a huge breakfast for the entire crew. A breakfast that just happened to consist of all of Max’s favorite foods. The Captain herself was stunned to learn that Parvati and Nyoka were so crafty in the kitchen. 

The Unreliable was docked in Groundbreaker, because the Captain would be sending Felix and Max out later that day. She didn’t want to risk sending them somewhere as dangerous as Monarch or Emerald Vale without her, so they wouldn’t be traveling today. The Captain declared that everyone take a load off for the day. 

She was on Max’s heels practically all day as everyone pretended to do housekeeping chores around the ship. He noted that she was being particularly clingy, which he did find strange. She also had her hands on him as every moment, whether it be holding hands or resting her head on his shoulder. He was beginning to sense something was at play here. 

Before he could ask questions, it was time for Felix and Max to go so they could set up the kitchen for the party. The Captain had to be meticulous with this, because she never sent anyone off the ship without her. For the first time of the day, she broke away from Max. She was stationed in front of the map, acting as if she was in the middle of doing something that she couldn’t leave. 

“ADA, will you call Max and Felix in here, please?” She asked.

ADA alerted Felix and Max that the Captain was requesting them, and they were at the terminal door in just a few seconds. 

“What’s up, boss?” Felix questioned in a shockingly convincing voice.

She didn’t turn to face them, afraid Max might be able to read that she was lying.

“Hey, I need you two to run to Chief Junlei and pick up some parts for me.” She ordered.

The Captain had messaged Junlei ahead of time to let her know the boys were coming, and that she and Felix needed to stall Max as long as possible. Felix nodded. 

“Yeah. Sure thing.” He agreed cheerily.

Max was immediately skeptical. 

“You’re not coming?” He asked.

She shook her head. She expected that he’d ask that.

“I would, but I can’t stop what I’m doing right now. Besides, it’s just Groundbreaker,” She finally turned to look at the two men with a flashy smile; “You can handle picking up the parts without me, can’t you?”

Felix clapped a hand on the older man’s shoulder blade.

“Of course, boss. Vic and I got ya covered.” He said, persuading Max out of the room before he could ask anything else. 

They exited the ship, and the Captain sprung into action the moment the airlock closed. It was her time to shine. 

__  
About an hour passed, and everything was set up. With the help of Ellie, Nyoka, Parvati, and even SAM, the kitchen was fit for a party. The table was decked out with food, including the cake that looked absolutely delicious. The bar was fully stocked and Nyoka even managed to track down some decorative streamers to hang from the ceiling. The five of them managed to have some spare time, so Parvati even attached some streamers and balloons to SAM, who didn’t mind in the least.

“It looks great in here!” The Captain shrieked happily.

Parvati matched her enthusiasm.

“Mr. Vicar is going to be so excited!”

Nyoka had already put a dent in her first bottle of Spectrum Vodka, a hiccup sounding from her.

“Me and Ellie might be in for a career change. Interior decorators, maybe?”

Ellie snorted.

“Thanks, but I’m good where I am,” She replied; “Where are the boys?”

The Captain looked at her watch.

“They should be back any min-”

As if on cue, the airlock hissed open and closed again. Running footsteps could be heard up the stairs, Felix bursting in as if he had just seen his first tossball match. 

“He’s coming!” He whispered rather loudly.

Everyone scattered around the table, taking their positions before he came up the stairs. Max appeared shortly after, a box of ship parts in his hands. He flinched when everyone leapt up and screamed a “SURPRISE!” that was so loud that she was sure everyone on Groundbreaker heard it. His face went red at the sudden attention, his body completely still. His eyes looked around the room, taking in the decorations and the food that had clearly been prepared in advance. 

He was stunned silent, looking to the Captain with a confused, short laugh. Her smile was blinding, he thought to himself how beautiful she was. She could tell he was a little rattled, obviously not expecting this. He stuttered over his words, knowing he needed to speak.

“I-I, uh, what’s-”

“We knew it was your birthday, Mr. Vicar.” Parvati piped up, taking the box from him.

Nyoka had poured a glass of iceberg whiskey, and handed it to him.

“Yeah, and we wanted to throw a party for our favorite vicar.” Nyoka chimed in.

Max’s eyes averted to the glass and then back to everyone. He couldn’t even formulate words.

“That’s why Boss sent us to go to Groundbreaker. Had to get you away so the ladies...and SAM could set up.” Felix said, proud that his work was successful. 

The Captain was standing up close to him now. She could see the tears that were close to brimming his eyes. Her heart positively shattered in her chest. He really hadn’t ever experienced anything like this. He shook his head quickly to push the tears back. He didn’t want to cry in front of everyone. He spoke past the lump threatening to form in his throat. 

“This party...is for me?” He croaked out, still clutching his glass of whiskey.

Everyone nodded. That explained his saucy wake up call and the random Groundbreaker errand. He couldn’t describe the feeling he felt at that moment. He had surely never had a birthday party before. But even more than that, he’d never had a group of people who cared about him enough to throw him a party in his honor. He thought about his time as a kid. His parents had always given him the impression that birthdays weren’t really all that special. It felt weird, but nice to celebrate for a change. 

“I don’t know what to say...” He said; “Thank you all.”

“It was all the Captain’s idea,” Ellie pointed out; “We’ve been planning this for a week now.”

Max looked at the Captain, who was blushing madly now. She hated taking all the credit.

“It was all of our work. We thought you should have a nice birthday.” She said, clinking her own glass against his; “Happy birthday, Max.”

His heart fluttered. Had anyone ever told him happy birthday? He sipped his drink finally, looking at her. He fell more and more in love with her everyday. 

He was debating on whether he should hold off on kissing her senseless or not. Max set his glass on the edge of the table, gripping the Captain’s waist and pulling her to him. Their bodies were pressed against each other, the Captain’s cheeks growing an even darker shade of scarlet at the thought of everyone watching them. 

They looked at each other. It wasn’t an intense stare or anything, but it was full of emotion. His heart always beat faster for her. He craved her every moment of the day.

Felix cleared his throat awkwardly. Max and the Captain snapped out of it.

“Right,” The Captain said, wriggling from his hold; “Thanks to Parvati, we have enough food for a couple of days.”

Parvati smiled.

“Yep! Chef Raymond was awfully kind to give us a discount on this stuff. It absosurely smells good!” She exclaimed. 

The crew sat around the table, feasting on the rich food and talking with excitement. Max couldn’t keep his eyes off of the Captain. He was overwhelmed with joy. He couldn’t believe that she had gone so out of her way for him. He couldn’t imagine anyone else ever loving him as much. 

After a few plates of food, it was time to cut into the cake. The Captain managed to track down some candles to put on the cake. Everyone watched curiously as she stuck them into the cake. She noticed their odd stares.

“What?” She asked.

“What are you doing, Captain?” Ellie questioned what everyone was thinking.

The Captain often forgot that they weren’t used to Earth traditions. She laughed sheepishly.

“Oh, well, on Earth we always put candles in a birthday cake and light them. Can I have your lighter, Felix?” She asked. Felix fished around in his pocket, retrieving his cigarette lighter and tossing to her. She lit the candles and continued to speak; “Then, you blow out the candles and make a silent wish.”

They all let out a synchronous “ohhh” as she slid the cake closer to Max. She smiled at him for the hundredth time that day.

“Go on.” She persuaded. 

He took a breath and blew out all the candles, a grin appearing on his face. He knew immediately what he was going to wish for. The crew devoured their slices of cake, everyone too full to eat anymore. 

“That was the damn finest meal I’ve had in a while.” Ellie announced.

SAM cleaned up the plates and kitchen, signaling everyone that the night was coming to an end. The Captain stood from her chair, letting out a huff at how stuffed she was. Max stood shortly after, pulling her to him once again. It was a little more forceful this time, and he didn’t wait before kissing her. It was abrupt, yet passionate. Her hands instinctively went to his face, deepening it. 

Parvati looked away, feeling like she was interrupting something. Felix had a proud grin on his as if Max were about to get laid for the first time. Nyoka and Ellie shot each other knowing glances. They knew what was coming next. Even if Halcyon and Earth didn’t have all the same traditions, one thing was always a given. 

A person’s birthday always ends with one thing.

Ellie silently motioned for everyone else to retreat to their rooms so Max and the Captain could get a move on with their evening. Their doors all whirred closed, and the Captain pulled away from Max so she could breathe for a second. They stood for a minute in silence before going to her bedroom. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders once they were settled, leaving much softer kisses on his lips.

“Typically, you’re not supposed to ask someone what they wished for. It’s considered bad luck,” She explained; “However, since we’re not on Earth, I find myself wondering.” 

Max laughed, holding her even closer to him. 

“Do you want to know what I wished for?” He asked.

She shrugged.

“Only if you want to tell me.” 

He kissed her once more before responding.

“I wished to be able to spend every day of the rest of my life with you.” He said truthfully.

Another blush crept onto her cheeks. He was always so charming.

“Oh, Max...” She whispered; “I love you.” 

“I love you, darling,” He returned; “Thank you for everything.” He said, referring to much more than the party.

He kissed her in response, but pulled away when she gave a hum.

“That reminds me,” She said, backing away from him; “I have a little present for you.”

He raised a brow. She had already done so much, he couldn’t imagine what else she had in store. She removed her shirt from her body, and his entire brain short circuited. She was clad in a red, lacy number that was driving him mad with desire. He raked over her as she bit her lip to hold back a giggle. She pushed him onto her bed, straddling his hips and kissing down his neck. He was eager, so she wouldn’t tease him too much. She did say one final thing before rocking his world.

“Happy birthday, Max.”


End file.
